NEPCon has adopted an “open source” policy to share what we develop to advance sustainability. This work is published under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 license. Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this document, to deal in the document without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, and/or distribute copies of the document, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the document. We would appreciate receiving a copy of any modified version. Timber Testing Techniques A guide to laboratory techniques to determine species and origin of timber products Thematic article series no. 1 Published February 2017 Disclaimers The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Developed by NEPCon under the project “Supporting Legal Timber Trade” funded by the EU LIFE This material has been funded by UK aid from the UK government; however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s programme and UK Aid from the UK government. official policies. Supporting Legal Timber Trade Thematic Article Series Contents Powerful tools for timber legality: New laboratory techniques that 0. Introduction 3 help verify the origin and species 1. Wood anatomy analysis 5 of your timber materials 1.1. Macroscopic analysis 6 1.2 Microscopic analysis 9 Timber legality legislation, such as the EU Timber 2. DNA analysis 11 Regulation, the US Lacey Act and the Australian 3. Stable isotope analysis 17 Illegal Logging Prohibition Act, have increased the need for industry, government agencies and other 4. List of laboratories 23 stakeholders to be able to identify the species and 5. References and notes 25 origin of timber used in wood-based products. This is 11 now even easier through the use of sophisticated laboratory techniques which have been adapted for use on wood and paper products. Such tests provide powerful independent verification of claims made by suppliers regarding the species of materials and their geographic origin. This Thematic Article provides an overview of the dominant scientific tests being used by industry and how they can help you to identify and control risk in your supply chain. 01 02 Thematic Article no. 1 Supporting Legal Timber Trade Thematic Article Series 0. Introduction: your supplier’s statements are true and that their documents are Which risks can be legitimate. detected using There are many innovative scientific testing methods timber testing becoming available to the timber sector. Here we explore the three techniques? most prevalent commercially available methods: Conducting due diligence on timber supply chains can be 1. Wood anatomy (macro- and tricky. To ensure your products microscopic) analysis are not at risk of including illegal 2. DNA analysis timber, a range of factors need to 3. Stable isotope analysis be assessed. Chief among these are the risks associated with the The technique to choose depends tree species included in products on the type of product being and the origin of the wood. tested and the information you Species and origin information is are seeking to verify (origin or often key to indicating legality, species) – see Figure 1. because high-value and endangered species are more at It should be noted that the risk of illegal harvesting, and validity and robustness of the some countries and regions are results are not guaranteed and well-known for corruption and rely on a range of factors such as poor law enforcement. When number of samples taken, quality collecting information to indicate of the laboratory and availability Figure 1: Timber testing techniques based on World Resources Institute’s original graphic from this blogpost legality of your timber products of reference samples. When http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/09/4-cutting-edge-technologies-catch-illegal-loggers (WRI, 2015) you will usually rely on supplier undertaking such testing it is statements and supporting important to clearly outline your documentation. Now laboratory needs to the laboratory and to ask techniques can offer independent about the benefits and limitations verification of these claims and of your chosen method. give you improved confidence that 03 04 Thematic Article no. 1 Supporting Legal Timber Trade Thematic Article Series 1.1 Macroscopic analysis porous, while white oaks have Macroscopic analysis involves pores which are plugged with 3 using the wood grain and larger tyloses . anatomical features of wooden Wood samples with the unaided eye or a Pores can be studied to hand lens. The technique is quick distinguish East Indian rosewood to conduct, requires limited (Dalbergia latifolia) from Brazilian expertise and is very useful for rosewood (Dalbergia nigra). East Anatomy providing at least an indication of Indian rosewood has about twice the species group involved. For as many pores per square inch as example, red and white oak Brazilian rosewood. Figures 2 and 4 species can be distinguished using 3 from the Wood Database show Analysis the naked eye by looking at the the differences, with Brazilian endgrain (transverse plane). The rosewood having well-spaced pores found in the growth rings of pores and East Indian rosewood red oak species are open and having much more densely packed pores.5 Wood anatomy analysis uses characteristic differences in wood grain, pores and colour to verify timber to ge- nus or sub-genus level. Tree can be identified down to the level of genus or sub-genus based on macro and microscopic wood anatomy. Observations of the wood are taken in three plane—transverse, radial and tangential—to create a 3D picture of the wood structure. Differences in struc- tural elements between samples can be identified and used to identify the wood species by comparing the structure to libraries of reference material. Reference databases are continually expanding and many are now freely accessible online (e.g. CITESwoodID1 and Figure 2: Brazilian rosewood Figure 3: East Indian rosewood InsideWood2), especially for CITES-listed species. 05 06 Thematic Article no. 1 Supporting Legal Timber Trade Thematic Article Series Similarly, when looking at the identifying groups of species as Guide to macroscopic analysis transverse plane of oak, it may be opposed to individual species. It possible to distinguish small dark can only be used for solid wood brown streaks (called ‘rays’). Red products, not for composite oak species usually have short products (e.g. MDF, OSB, paper). rays of between 3mm and 13mm Origin cannot be determined by (though occasionally up to 25mm macroscopic analysis. in length), whereas white oak Limitations of macroscopic When to use this method These tests may be conducted by analysis species have much longer rays, an experienced staff member frequently exceeding 19mm. internally. Alternatively, most When you want a cheap, However, macroscopic techniques laboratories offering microscopic Only used to identify are limited by the visibility of testing can also provide species (not origin) rough-and-ready in- identifiable elements with the macroscopic analysis. Only used to identify house check. naked eye or hand lens. This broad groups of species method is only suitable for When origin does not (e.g. white oaks vs red need to be verified. oaks). For groups of species Cannot be used on com- which have unique posite products (paper, anatomical features. MDF, oriented strand board). When broad distinction between groups of species is acceptable. Costs EUR 100 – 450. 07 08 Thematic Article no. 1 Supporting Legal Timber Trade Thematic Article Series 1.2 Microscopic analysis Microscopic analysis can be used Guide to microscopic analysis for most solid wood specimens, Microscopic identification involves including very thin veneer layers looking at small anatomical (thickness <0.20 mm) and wood structures of wood, such as chips. It can also be used for tracheids and vessels using a light some composite products (e.g. Limitations of microscopic When to use this method microscope. plywood, chipboard, oriented analysis strand board). The utility of Microscopic analysis is usually microscopic analysis is limited for Only used to identify species When origin does not need adequate to identify a wood products in which the structural (not origin). to be verified. sample to the genus or sub-genus elements required for level but not to the level of identification are very small and Only used to identify broad For groups of species which individual species. This means, for for products which have been groups of species (e.g. have unique anatomical example, a sample could be significantly physically or white oaks vs red oaks). features. identified as oak (Genus: chemically altered. This includes Quercus) or as one of the white particleboard, wood-plastic When broad distinction oak species (e.g. Quercus alba, Q. Composite products with composites, wood flour and some between species groups is robur, Q. ilex, etc.), but can not types of fibreboard. The Centre very small particles may not acceptable. be identified as to which of the for Wood Anatomy Research of be able to be tested (e.g. white oak species it is. For the US Forest Products Laboratory wood flour, some MDFs, Where you do not feel example, it would not identify if is currently working to improve particleboard, etc.) . confident enough to use the species is Quercus alba or microscopic techniques for these macroscopic techniques Quercus robur. product types (Wiedenhoeft, 2014). Anatomical uniqueness is yourself. The utility of microscopic testing also a limiting factor for Costs For analysis of composite was demonstrated in a 2015 study microscopic analyses.